Maialino's Olive Oil Cake
Author Notes: Olive oil cake at its best has a crackling crust and an aromatic oil-rich middle, which, if it held any more moisture, would be pudding. Pulling this off should be easy -- there aren't even egg whites to whip and fold, or butter to cream -- but it isn't always. This one, however, is perfect, and will ruin you for all others. Recipe from Maialino Restaurant in New York City. Maialino also serves it at breakfast in muffin form, and they've been known to turn it into a birthday cake, layered with mascarpone buttercream. —Genius Recipes
Makes a 9-inch round cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/3 cups extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/4 cup Grand Marnier
- Heat the oven to 350° F. Oil, butter, or spray a 9-inch cake pan that is at least 2 inches deep with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. (If your cake pan is less than 2 inches deep, divide between 2 pans and start checking for doneness at 30 minutes.)
- In a bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and powder. In another bowl, whisk the olive oil, milk, eggs, orange zest and juice and Grand Marnier. Add the dry ingredients; whisk until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, until the top is golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and let cool for 30 minutes.
- Run a knife around the edge of the pan, invert the cake onto the rack and let cool completely, 2 hours.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
More Great Recipes:
Olive Oil|Fruit|Desserts|Cakes
Topics: Cake
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about 1 month ago MJ
Has anyone baked this in a loaf pan? I was thinking it would make nice slices for toasting for breakfast.
about 2 months ago namrata gupta
Hi Everyone, what would be a good substitute for the Grand Marnier. We're an alcohol free household. More orange juice? Or additional water?
about 2 months ago Julie Howard
I've found this alcohol substitution chart to be pretty effective. I don't know whether it tastes the same, since we're alcohol-free, too. But I always like the result. http://www.gourmetsleuth...
about 2 months ago Paloma Cabero
This recipe is pretty similar to a typical cake in my region, Valencia, at the Mediterranean coast, called "coca de llanda"(cake in a tin), because it is always made into a square tin mould. Yummy! Delicious with horchata
about 2 months ago ebbys mama
Yes. So very tasty. The cake you speak of would be the best version for someone wanting to avoid the alcohol in this recipe.
about 2 months ago Margot Mustich
Has anyone tried making this cake with almond milk, or another non-dairy liquid?
about 2 months ago Rprp
soy milk...it has a fat content not too different from milk. Also, non dairy creamer (I know, I know....chemical hell, but it works. You can reconstitute the non-dairy powder.) I never have whole milk, plus i'm always looking for non-dairy deserts)
about 2 months ago Rprp
correction: soy milk has half the fat of whole cow's milk, but it works well anyway.
about 2 months ago Ami
Yes. I have made it with almond milk, cashew milk, and . . . wait for it . . . Water! They all came out fine. Cows milk made the cake rise the best, but cakes with other liquids were perfectly fine. Alternative milk like almond milk is pretty much water. So the difference between alternative milk and water when making this cake is much smaller (I'd say negligible) than that of between cows milk and alternative milk.
2 months ago Maureen Puddicombe
Any suggestions how to adjust for altitude? I live at 6,000 ft! Thanks
about 2 months ago Suzanne Sarah Forsberg
At greater than 6,000 ft., I did not need to adjust anything but the cooking time ... about 15 to 20 mins. longer. When it gets a good crack and a bamboo skewer comes out clean. I've found this recipe perfect for altitude, as it's very moist and holds it's moistness for a good amount of time. As you can imagine, that's gone over great 'round these parts.
3 months ago Judy
Is there a way to make this the day before serving and still keep the crunchy top?
3 months ago Lindsay Frucci
Yes! Just don't cover it. Works like a charm and it definitely doesn't get stale. If I don't serve it all at dinner, I cover only the cut side and it keeps perfectly. If you feel more comfortable you could certainly refrig it overnight, but make sure you bring it out in plenty of time to come back to room temp. I'm not sure it would be as good cold...
3 months ago Judy
Thank you!!
3 months ago paramount
This cake is perfection. There I said it💎🥂🖖🏻
4 months ago Pía Añazco
If you don´t have a grand marnier, whitch other liquor can you use? Thnx
Pía, from Chile.
4 months ago Melissa Gordon
Hi Pía! You van use any citrus flavored liqueur, like Cointreau, Limoncello, or even a little Pisco with lemon or orange juice would work! Experiment with what you have locally, this cake adapts to other flavors well...even cinnamon and vanilla for fall and winter!
4 months ago Melissa Gordon
Hi Pía! You van use any citrus flavored liqueur, like Cointreau, Limoncello, or even a little Pisco with lemon or orange juice would work! Experiment with what you have locally, this cake adapts to other flavors well...even cinnamon and vanilla for fall and winter!
4 months ago Pía Añazco
haha yes, we have a lot of Pisco here, i think it will work, thank's for answering so quickly! :)
4 months ago Tracie Thomas
Cointreau works great!
4 months ago Susan Smeltzer
Second attempt was much better! Used the corn meal sub mentioned here and baked for 80 minutes, until the cake pulled away from the edge of the pan. Instaread thermometer made it up to 197F. Toothpick test was a massive failure the first time around, so didn't rely on that this time. This time it's perfect! Mixed some leftover orange juice and honey into some plain Greek yogurt and served it alongside. YUM!
5 months ago Susan Smeltzer
I'm baking this cake for the first time tonight, and when I looked in the window 25 minutes in, I realized I'd put the baking rack in crooked! I have a slanted cake! :P
5 months ago Susan Smeltzer
Ok, I need some advice - I checked the cake at 50 minutes, and used a toothpick to test it, which came out clean. I tried two more fresh toothpicks just to be sure since it wasn't an hour, and they came out clean too. I took it out, let it cool for 30", and it was not even set in the middle. How are you testing yours for doneness? :( The outside edge tastes great.
5 months ago sheila
I make these as muffins and frost with mascarpone frosting. It's my most requested recipe. A very special adult dessert.
5 months ago soo
how long do you bake them as muffins? and can you share your mascarpone frosting recipe? thx!
5 months ago sheila
Happy to share: I bake them at 350 and usually for 18 minutes but start checking them at 15. They should be golden on top and toothpick comes out dry. For the Mascarpone frosting: whip one cup heavy cream to whipped cream, add 8 oz mascarpone and 1/2 cup confectioners sugar. ENJOY!
about 2 months ago Jaye Bee
Sheila, do you use paper liners for your muffins? Thanks for any feedback.
about 2 months ago sheila
Hi Jayne Bee, yes I use the liners that are the unbleached and non dyed ones. The batter is very wet and any other kind would bleed into the batter. Enjoy baking these.
about 2 months ago Lindsay Frucci
Hi Sheila, can you tell me how many muffins you get from this recipe? Thanks!!
about 2 months ago sheila
Hi Lindsay, don't hold me to the exact number but it's usually about 18.
about 2 months ago Lindsay Frucci
Thank you!! :-)
5 months ago Suzanne Sarah Forsberg
I substituted blood orange olive oil, and orange juice instead of milk. The results were phenomenal!
7 months ago mary
I made this cake, and I like it, except that for me was to oily. Next time I will reduce it to 3/4 cup. I think it will be enough ! Thanks fro sharing.
7 months ago soo
does this cake freeze well? I guess I could try it and see.... thanks for the comments about emulsifying the eggs w oil- seems to make sense- will bake this tonight.
7 months ago (]Celia[)
It freezes beautifully. I love making it into muffins, which I freeze and break out for breakfasts when the family is having a little trouble getting motivated in the am.
5 months ago soo
great! how long do you bake the muffins?
5 months ago (]Celia[)
I wish I could remember exactly. I think it's about 20 mins, but I set the timer for 12 mins and check frequently after.
5 months ago soo
thanks! the last time i made this cake, it took about an hour and a half - an hour and 40 mins to bake! so it would be great to bake it in a shorter amount of time! :)
7 months ago (]Celia[)
Any suggestions on how to make this with meyer lemons instead of oranges and still have the lemon flavor come through?
7 months ago Lindsay Frucci
Substitute meyer lemon juice and zest for the orange juice/zest and limoncello for the Grand Marnier or Cointreau? Since meyer lemons have a sweetness to them, I think that would work. Always wanted to try this with lemon. Let us know how it works out!
7 months ago WinterGal
i always make mine with lemons and limoncello, as lindsay suggested, since i don't care for the orange flavor. it's fabulous! good luck and enjoy! for something extra special.... lavender flowers in the batter!
8 months ago Lindsay Frucci
I've made this cake many, many times with a couple of changes I found in the comments. I substitute half the four with a scant cup of cornmeal (Thank you Lynn Wainess for the suggestion - it makes a huge difference!), I use Fillippo Berio Light Olive Oil (found in most grocery stores), I whisk the eggs with the olive oil to emulsify before adding the other liquid ingredients and bake in a 9" springform pan for 1 hour. It comes out absolutely perfect every time. I serve it with lightly whipped cream and fresh raspberries and I have never served it without someone asking for the recipe! Finally, if there are leftovers, I cover only the cut side and leave it out on the counter (never lasts more than a day). The top stays wonderfully crunchy that way!
8 months ago Diana Sedita
This cake is amazing! I followed the recipe exactly, except I used regular olive oil (not extra virgin). It was moist on the inside and had a wonderful crunch on the outside. I served this with marscapone whipped cream on the side, which was a perfect compliment (that recipe can be found on Food52 too). It was a big hit with the family!
9 months ago cara592
I really dislike grand marnier and orange juice in desserts. Is there a substitution for these? I can see amaretto or frangelico for the liquor. But what about the OJ? I imagine the acidity is important with all that olive oil
9 months ago WinterGal
i used lemoncello which was fabulous! just a nice lemon flavor and the alcohol baked out. i really think you need a strong liquor to balance the olive oil. good luck!
10 months ago Modhu Sen
I made this cake with half the ingredients and a little less sugar. It was too liquidy batter so added almond meal. Came out delicious and soft not dense. Best cake that I have ever baked.
11 months ago Renate
I made this cake today and reduced the sugar level to taste. It came out quite dense, as expected, but very fragrant and full of delicious flavour. Next time I will try to reduce the amount of oil to one cup instead. I also used virgin Greek olive oil, with Portuguese porto (I didn't have grand marnier) which complimented very well. Next time I intend to prepare it with Sicilian olive oil and some Arancello di Sicilia. Perhaps a splash of orange blossom water. The cake is lovely, simple, delicious and crunchy. Though it wouldn't be nearly as good without the crunchiness.
10 months ago Renate
Ok, there is a reason for it being as oily.... I made it again, with a 1/4 cup less olive oil, and it wasn't half as good as the original recipe!!
Showing 48 out of 305 comments